446 https://www.id-press.eu/mjms/index
Scientifc Foundation SPIROSKI, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2020 Aug 05; 8(B):446-450.
https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2020.3355
eISSN: 1857-9655
Category: B - Clinical Sciences
Section: Neurology
Blue Light Exposure Improving Cognitive Function by Increasing
Serum Orexin Level in Shift Working Nurse at Sanglah Central
Hospital Denpasar
Anak Agung Ayu Putri Laksmidewi*, Yuliantry Indah Lestari, Ni Putu Ayu Putri Mahadewi, I. Made Oka Adnyana,
Anak Agung Bagus Ngurah Nuartha
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana University, Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nurses are one of the many jobs that use the shift work system. Nurses work lovingly, requiring
high attention when working. Sleep disorders are often experienced by nurses who work shifting outside of normal
working hours. Long sleep disorders can cause cognitive function disorders.
AIM: This study aims to determine the efectiveness of exposure to blue light in improving cognitive function and
serum orexin levels compared to exposure to white light.
METHODS: An experimental study with a pre-test-post-test control group design. Subjects were divided into
treatment groups (exposure to blue light) and the control group (exposure to white light) equally. Both groups
assessed cognitive function scores using the MoCA-INA and examined serum orexin levels before and after light
exposure.
RESULTS: The mean increase in the cognitive function score of the treatment group (5.00; p < 0.001) was greater
than the control group (0.417; p = 0.054) and the mean increase in serum orexin levels in the treatment group (1068,
244; p < 0.001) was greater than the control group (336,706; p = 0.052), the increase in the treatment group was
found to be statistically signifcant.
CONCLUSION: Exposure to blue light before carrying out night shift can increase cognitive function scores 5 times
greater and increase serum orexin levels higher than exposure to white light on nurses.
Edited by: Slavica Hristomanova-Mitkovska
Citation: Laksmidewi AAAP, Lestari YI, Mahadewi NPAP,
Adnyana IMO, Nuartha AABN. Blue Light Exposure
Improving Cognitive Function by Increasing Serum Orexin
Level in Shift Working Nurse at Sanglah Central Hospital
Denpasar. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2020 Aug 05;
8(B):446-450. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2020.3355
Keywords: Blue light; Orexin; Cognitive function
*Correspondence: Anak Agung Ayu Putri Laksmidewi,
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Udayana
University, Sanglah Hospital, Denpasar
E-mail: laksmidewi2009@gmail.com
Received: 12-Jul-2019
Revised: 16-Jul-2020
Accepted: 21-Jul-2020
Copyright: © 2020 Anak Agung Ayu Putri Laksmidewi,
Yuliantry Indah Lestari, Ni Putu Ayu Putri Mahadewi, I.
Made Oka Adnyana, Anak Agung Bagus Ngurah Nuartha
Funding: This research did not receive any fnancial
support
Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no
competing interests exist
Open Access: This is an open-access article distributed
under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Introduction
Nurses in work must remain vigilant and
always full of love but sometimes can experience sleep
disorders, especially those working with a rotating
system. Disorders of sleep patterns afect circadian
rhythms. Humans need sleep which is an active
physiological process is needed for restoration and
recovery, but the overall level of brain activity is not
reduced during sleep.
The rhythm of the human body is regulated
by a part of the ventral anterior hypothalamus, the
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) located in the third
ventricle at the top of the optic chiasm. SCN consists of two
pairs of nuclei, namely, dorsomedial shell and ventrolateral
core. The eferent fbers from the SCN will trigger nerve
and humoral signals that will harmonize the circadian
rhythm. The pineal gland in the brain works for a feedback
mechanism to regulate SCN, inhibit melatonin production
and excite orexin through the retinohypothalamic (TRH)
tract and SCN. Lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) has three
main neurons, namely, orexin neurons, MCH neurons,
and neurons that contain glutamic acid decarboxylase
(GAD) 65. Orexin neurons play a role in awake conditions,
whereas GAD 65 and MCH neurons only play a role during
sleep and especially during the rapid eye movement sleep
(REMS) [1], [2].
The intensity of bright and dark light
accompanied by a number of planned naps is an
important factor in circadian rhythms which is a rhythmic
biological process that afects 24-h mental, physical,
and behavioral conditions that also regulate body
temperature, blood pressure, and secretion patterns of
the body. Signals from retina will be forwarded to an
SCN oscillation system in the hypothalamus through
the TRH tract. Giving blue light that has short waves
(466–477 nm) at night is known to reduce melatonin
levels in the blood and is associated with an increase in
attention function and concentration [3], [4], [5]. Orexin
is known to be associated with attention function,
alertness, and concentration in awake conditions.
Every sleep cycle, someone passes non-rapid
eye movement and REM stadiums. During certain
stages of sleep, there is an increase in brain oxygen
absorption beyond normal when awake. Paradoxal